


Kill Me, Heal Me

by sorahime345



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Character Death, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Doctor-Patient Relationship, Feels, Fluff and Angst, Hospitals, M/M, Memory Alteration, Oreshi & Bokushi, Psychological Drama, Psychologists & Psychiatrists, Shounen-ai, Yaoi, depressed Kuroko
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-08
Updated: 2015-08-11
Packaged: 2018-04-08 06:10:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4293747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sorahime345/pseuds/sorahime345
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kuroko Tetsuya works as a psychologist. Akashi Seijuuro is a patient who suffers DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder). When fate brings them together, Kuroko finds himself developing complex feelings towards this man, especially if there are two Akashis (Doctor-Patient Relationship)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Some people in ffnet might be familiar with this story, so maybe I will try posting here for more audience.
> 
> This story is based on the Korean Drama under the same name. I am sorry if this story might be ripped off from the drama, but I'm trying to keep this story as original as possible because I don't watch the drama fully.

_Background Dissociative Identity Disorder: DID is a multiple personality disorder. In other words, a person is characterized as two separate identities, and its alternate identity may take over a person's behavior. Often times, it's accompanied by memory impairment, which can't be explained by ordinary forgetfulness._

* * *

  
  
Human minds worked in mysterious ways.

People in the society struggled to fit in, so they put on a mask to get accepted. As time went on, they realized they were unhappy by their circumstances, but instead of withdrawing their mask, they painted them with many colors to hide themselves— to the point they didn't even know their true colors anymore.

For instance, someone might question himself—Am I the colorless introvert or the colorful extrovert? Am I really an outgoing person, or did I just love to be outgoing so I can maintain my social life? What if I'm just a sulky person in general?

When we mixed too much color in our palette, we forgot which initials colors we wanted to use. In the end, we would mix everything randomly until the least desired colors showed up, destroying the painting.

After letting those thoughts lingering in his mind, Kuroko finally closed the book before him.

Exhaling a defeated sigh, the teal haired male peered at his wristwatch. It was already late. Promptly, he got to his feet and undo his white coat before draping it across his chair. Kuroko didn't really see the point of folding his coat neatly if he would use them again tomorrow to attend some mentally ill patients.

He grabbed his satchel, turned the lights off and shut the door behind him.

As he fumbled for his keys in his pocket, his fellow colleagues seemed to be in the middle of a heated debate, not noticing the bluenet's presence.

"But Midorimacchi! I told you many times I will never be able to handle that client!"

"Don't be foolish, Kise. You hear what the director says. If you can't do this, you know what will happen."

Kuroko might not be the nosy type, but he approached them just in case he missed something, especially if it was job-related.

"Evening guys, what are you up to?"

Kise and Midorima froze. They blinked. Panicked, their eyes darted across the room, only to found the source of the voice came from the person who stood before them. They shared a girly shriek.

"Please speak properly next time, Kuroko," Midorima said with a scowl, fixing his glasses.

In contrast to Midorima's irritation, Kise looked relieved by the shorter male's presence. "Ah Kurokocchi!" he shrieked and wrapped his arms around Kuroko's neck, to Kuroko's horror. "You are just in time! Please help me Kurokocchi! _Pleeaaaseeee!_ "

As Kuroko struggled to free from Kise's steel grip, Midorima crossed his arms and chided. "You can't always ask help from your kohai, Kise!"

Kise sent him a bitter glare and snapped. "Why not? Kurokocchi proved to be a better psychologist than I do! He had saved more than twenty clients in the last three months!"

"That's why the boss really thinks you're not capable." Midorima replied calmly, unaffected by Kise's outburst.

Kuroko stole a sideways glance to the blonde, and his eyes widened when he saw hot tears streamed down Kise's cheeks. He parted his lips to speak, but words never escaped his mouth. Deep down, he wanted to pat Kise on the head and tell him everything is going to be all right, but it would do nothing but spoiling his senpai.

Due to economical reasons, countless businessmen and workers were not in luck when it comes to their career, including doctors.

By the declining number of patients, the hospital needed to kick out some specialists to keep up with their running cost and profit reasons.

Unfortunately, Kise happened to be one of them.

Kuroko had known Kise for…three months? Kuroko didn't even like Kise that much, but he couldn't imagine the spoiled blonde walking around aimlessly in the street being jobless.

"Kise-kun, you can assign the job to me." Words spilled from his mouth so quickly that Kuroko began to regret his offer.

Kise slowly turned towards Kuroko with a hopeful expression, looking too stunned to speak. On the other hand, Midorima huffed and put on a skeptical frown.

"Don't be dumb, Kuroko!" Midorima protested. "This job is assigned for Kise! There's no way you can carry his responsibility!"

"Tell the director that Kise will take the job," Kuroko looked at Midorima with a serious expression. "But behind his knowledge, I will do the job in his place."

Midorima stared at Kuroko incredulously. He was familiar with Kuroko's nature to stuck his nose into other people's business, but he never knew that the bluenet was this persistent that he would defy the director's orders just to help his colleague.

Despite the disapproving look on his face, Midorima came to respect Kuroko's adamant attitude.

"All right then, do what you want." Midorima scowled, facing his back towards the duo. "Remember, you have been warned. I am not responsible for your naïve actions."

Kuroko smiled wryly. "I know you will try your best to make sure we don't get caught, Midorima-kun."

Midorima shrugged and fixed his glasses. "Whatever."

With that curt response, Midorima strode back into his room with a tiny smile on his lips. Kuroko, realizing Midorma's actions, smiled back at the retreating figure.

After Midorima shut the door behind him, Kise broke into frantic sobs and showered Kuroko with tearful 'thank you's. He even got to his knees and worshiped Kuroko as if the bluenet was a god.

"It's all right, Kise-kun!" Kuroko said while ushering Kise to get back on his feet before people started looking at them.

Kise wiped the tears from his eyes and sniffed. "Thank you so much, Kurokocchi! How can I repay your so never-ending kindness?"

Something glowed behind Kuroko's eyes as he shoved a thick paperwork to the blonde. "On the other hand, please handle the current client I serving. Then we will be even."

Kise stared at the papers in horror. He accepted them out of obligation towards the shorter male. He flipped through the thick papers quickly and said. "This Aomine guy, he has narcissism disorder?"

"Yeah, he has this kind of problem for loving himself too much, making him look selfish to others," Kuroko said as if he was reciting a passage from a textbook. "That job is pretty simple. I can solve his case in a few minutes."

"Then why is his profile so freaking thick?" Kise inquired indignantly as the dark-skinned man on the profile stared back at him. He doesn't look so bad except the sour expression on his face. Kise found it unnerving how someone would put up such an expression during a photo-shoot; he made sure to give a piece of his mind when he meets Aomine tomorrow.

"I told you that guy is a narcissist," Kuroko said obviously. "He exaggerates. For him, the world revolves around him alone. I'm not surprised if he writes his profile like a biography— narcissists starve for attention. Didn't we learn this in the basics during college?"

"I don't remember. It's four years ago." Kise excused lamely.

"No wonder the boss wants to kick you out." Kuroko deadpanned.

"No Kurokocchi! Don't be mean! Please help me! I will solve this case perfectly, I promise!"

Kuroko heaved a tired sigh and spoke. "All right then. So Kise-kun, how can I start helping you with this 'job'?"

"Ah…this one." Kise thrust his hand into his pocket and resurfaced a neat envelope. "This letter is from my client."

Kuroko took the letter and scrutinized it carefully. He wondered what kind of client it was even Midorima refused to help. He realized the envelope was half opened and slightly wrinkled. So Kise and Midorima had been discussing this for a while huh?

Kise seemed to read Kuroko's mind and gave him a lopsided grin. "Well, just a friendly reminder, Midorima and I never face this kind of client before. The moment we read his profile and biodata, we know it is out of our league."

"I will try my best." Kuroko nodded, already craving for the contents of letter.

After saying goodbye to Kise, Kuroko stalked off towards the elevator and went to the basement to fetch for his silver _Mazda._ Unlocking the door, he slid inside the driver's seat, started the engine and set off.

Kuroko didn't really see the point of driving home because his apartment was just a few miles away. Ever since he worked in Tokyo Psychologist hospital, he had missed his parents and friends in Seirin. Thinking about his old basketball club curled a nostalgic smile to his lips.

He wondered how everyone was doing. Did Hyuga ask Riko out in college? Was Izumi still throwing his lame puns everywhere? Did one of the Seirin members finally discover how Mitobe sounds like?

Kuroko was still in contact with Kagami though, who went back to America in a basketball college with his childhood friend, Himuro Tatsuya. Kagami just dropped by last week for life consulting, and as a legit psychologist and a friend, Kuroko was willing to listen to him for free.

After all, that's what friends do. Kagami often turned to Kuroko for help during the Seirin days, and he was the one who suggested Kuroko to take the psychologist major because of Kuroko's ability to listen and gives advices.

And here he was today being a part-time psychologist. The payment was decent, but better than most, for he could still spend the money on luxury products such as new clothes or gadgets after paying his rent and other necessities.

Suddenly, his car halted with a screech. Traffic. Kuroko bumped his head against the steering wheel and scowled. Kuroko didn't remember the last time he felt so tired—perhaps his basketball training in Seirin? But really, it was nothing compared his current exhaustion.

As car horns blared around the street, Kuroko dug the envelope from his pocket and decided to take a peek. Maybe it could entertain him for a while as the traffic lasted.

Pulling out the letter from the envelope, he unfolded it with impatience.

His eyes widened when his gaze fell upon a photo scarlet-haired man in the profile. His hair was naturally tousled, and there was a charming aura about him. Kuroko felt his face heating by the sight. He shook his head frantically. He knew being a homosexual wasn't the best course of action.

Shrugging the thought aside, he started reading the neat handwriting. His name was Akashi Seijuuro. Kuroko scanned through the letter to find the word 'syndrome' or any symptom for him to identify Akashi's problem. Usually, reading the full biodata wasn't very useful, especially if he could meet Akashi in person and hear it from the man himself.

Then he saw the writing on the very last line.

_Dissociative Identity Disorder._

Suddenly, a nervous smile hooked on his lips. Kuroko wanted to laugh. In the past three months, Kuroko had been dealing with stressed people, listening to their depressing life rants and gives helpful advices in return.

Just when the job looked too easy for him, Akashi Seijuuro came in the right time to make his job less tedious.

Kuroko laughed and laughed, and for the first time, he doubted on his own abilities.


	2. Chapter 2

_3 Months ago:_

Kuroko strolled into the clinic with a new satchel in hand. The latter belonged to his father, who had given him as a graduation present. Despite the simple gift, the teal-haired male felt grateful, for he wouldn’t afford to purchase a satchel of his own.

After all, doctors needed to bring satchels with them, right?

The distinctive scent of the clinic sped his heartbeat; Kuroko was nervous. Even though Tokyo Psychology hospital hired him immediately the moment they saw his PA, the high bars of expectation terrorized Kuroko, and he wasn’t inclined to disappoint the director who had hired him without hesitation.

His stomach fell when a tall, dark-haired man with tousled hair beamed at him. He breezily approached Kuroko, his white coat moved to and fro by his rapid stride. There was an air of superiority about him. He was the director of the hospital, no doubt.

“Good afternoon, Kuroko Tetsuya-san,” his voice was as smooth as silk. “Welcome to Tokyo Psychology Clinic. It is our pleasure to have you work with us.”

Kuroko stammered, words stuck on his throat. “Um…it is a pleasure to meet you sir…”

The director blinked and said quickly. “Ah my apologies, my name is Kyoya Orihara. I am the director of this hospital. I think you know who I am because I specifically hired you, is that right?”

Kuroko felt chills travelling up and down his spine. He can’t seem to escape the director’s calculating and cunning gaze. “Y-Yes sir!”

The director chuckled a bit and took Kuroko by the palm. “Come Tetsuya, I will show you your room.”

Kuroko stared at the director’s hands before he replied. “I appreciate your help sir.”

As Kuroko tailed behind the Mr. Kyoya, they passed through the crowded and riotous waiting room. Kuroko could see screaming teenagers banging their head against the wall, wild goose chase between patients and their therapist, and a few young children attempting suicide with sharp objects they had found lying around in the corner. On the other side, the older patients lazily leaned their back against the wall with somber expressions.

People gave in to darkness so easily. Kuroko thought sadly. If only people were born with optimistic thoughts, the world would be a better place. But according to religion studies, sin was the factor why people triggered negative emotional energy in the first place—pessimistic was one of them.

Suddenly, the mention of his name brought him into reality.

_“Is that Kurokocchi?”_

_“Shut up Kise! You know he…”_

_“But Midorimacchi, that’s really him, isn’t it?”_

_“Maybe, I’m not so sure.”_

_“What is he doing here?”_

Despite the room’s turbulent noise, Kyoya seemed to pick up the specialists’ bantering and briskly approached them with a scowl.

“Are you guys supposed to work?” he chastised calmly despite the unpleasant look on his face. “You have many patients waiting in need and here you are standing around like a bunch of gossiping mothers.”

The blonde one doesn’t seemed to show any sign of guilt as he pointed profoundly at Kuroko. “Sir, it’s because of him…”

“Never mind what he says sir,” the green-haired male cut him immediately. “Kise is delusional.”

The director quirked his brow, chiding. “Do you need any specialist to fix your head, Ryota?”

Kise’s lips opened to say something, but he quickly closed it because he knew it was useless.

Finally, it was Kuroko’s turn to speak. “Umm, have we meet somewhere before?”

* * *

  
  
_Present time:_

Rubbing the sleepiness from his eyes, Kuroko yawned as he made his way into the clinic. Last night, he spent a fairly amount of time researching for DID and fell asleep on his desk. By the time he woke up, his drool smeared over his research papers, so Kuroko had no choice but to rely his general knowledge of DID to deal with Akashi Seijuuro. 

After unlocking his room, he shoved his way inside and put on his white lab coat. A small smile teased on his lips as his eyes ran across the white coat draping over his shoulders. Even though putting on the coat meant work, it was also a feeling of accomplishment to become a full-fledged therapist to help people in need, and Kuroko loved every bit of it, no matter how tedious it seemed.

After organizing his files and necessities, Kuroko sunk into his chair and thrummed his finger against the glass table, waiting for his eccentric patient. Akashi said he wanted to meet at nine, so Kuroko was lucky to come ten minutes early.

When the clock hand struck to twelve, somebody knocked the door.

Kuroko cleared his throat before he said. “Come in.” 

Dammit, he was never this nervous; it’s not like Akashi was his first client.

As the door opened, a short, young man with red hair slipped into the room with a light smile on his lips. Kuroko stifled a gasp, feeling his face heating. His scarlet irises crinkled with mischief, yet there was an aura of superiority around him. 

Kuroko’s mouth flew opened for a second, trying to find the right words to describe the man before him. _‘Charming’_ seemed to be an understatement.

The teal-haired male fiddled with his fingers under the desk and greeted Akashi neutrally. “Good morning Akashi-san. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Akashi blinked, once, then twice. The man was trapped in his thoughts before Kuroko snapped him out of his reverie. “Ah, forgive me Kuroko Tetsuya-sensei. It’s nice to meet you. I was just trying to adjust myself, if that’s the right word.”

Kuroko felt blood travelled to his face. He had never met someone so charming and suave before. For unknown reasons, he felt attracted to this man. Quickly, Kuroko shrugged the thought away before he succumbed into his psychologist mode.

“Based on the letter you had written, you mentioned that you have this syndrome called Disassociate Identity Disorder, am I correct?”

Akashi was silent for a moment. Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Akashi shifted uneasily on his seat. After a moment of hesitation, Akashi smiled shyly at the deadpanned therapist. “Excuse me Tetsuya-sensei, can I see the letter that I have written?”

Kuroko’s eyes flicked from the envelope buried in his pocket to Akashi’s sheepish smile. He dug his hand into his pocket before he resurfaced the wrinkled envelope before handing it to Akashi.

Akashi unfolded the envelope and read the letters silently. Occasionally, Akashi’s brows furrowed and as the seconds ticked by, the anxiety on his face became more evident. Finally, the red-haired male exhaled a defeated sigh and handed the letter back to Kuroko.

“I’m sorry Tetsuya-sensei, I don’t remember writing this letter.”

Kuroko arched his brows quizzically and inquired. “Do you happen to recognize this handwriting?”

“Yes, that is my handwriting.”

“Then I assumed you must be the one who write this letter.” Kuroko said, puzzled.

Akashi seemed calm despite the peculiar turn of events. Leaning his hand against his chin, Akashi flashed him a suave, alluring smile. “Truth to be told, I believe _I_ did write this letter.”

“So, you’re the one who write this letter, is that true?” Kuroko asked, slowly losing his patience.

“Not particularly true, but _I_ did write it.”

“Sir, we have no time to messing around. Please tell me the truth!” Kuroko found his voice rising.

“I am telling the truth, Tetsuya.” Akashi winked innocently, and Kuroko swore his heart skipped a beat. The way he called his name sent a chill of pleasure up and down his spine. This man was messing with him, no doubt.

But on the other hand, Kuroko questioned himself regarding Akashi’s actions. Was Akashi telling him the truth? He said he wrote the letter, but then he said the opposite. Despite the crook smile on his lips, Kuroko didn’t trace any sign of humor from Akashi’s demeanor.

Suddenly, realization flooded into his senses.

Memory impairment was one of the syndromes in DID. 

Then it could only lead into one thing—there were two Akashis, and the one who wrote this letter must be the other Akashi, which the current Akashi had referred to earlier.

So it was only natural the current Akashi didn’t remember what the other Akashi did—it was part of DID’s nature.

Kuroko kneaded his temples in frustration, slowly draining his mental energy and feeling his stomach churned. Oh great, now he was hungry.

“You seems to be tired, sensei.” Akashi pointed out, snapping Kuroko from his thoughts.

Kuroko blinked and apologized immediately. “I’m very sorry Akashi-san. Honestly, I never deal with this kind of patient before, that’s why I’m feeling…a little bit overwhelmed.”

Akashi nodded thoughtfully and said. “I see…I’m glad that you’re honest.”

“Excuse me?” Kuroko asked, seemingly taken aback by Akashi’s statement.

Akashi’s lips hooked into a smile as he spoke. “My condition is fatal, that’s why I visited many psychologist in the past. Honestly, all of them disappoint me. If they can’t heal me in the first place, they should admit immediately.”

“Some therapist do that for financial reasons, sir.” Kuroko said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Akashi’s brows arched, amused by the therapist’s word to spoke against his own faction. 

Suddenly, Akashi leaned closer towards the shorter male and locked their gaze together. Kuroko froze, his blue eyes lost in Akashi’s red ones. The blush on his face grew even redder as seconds went by.

“You’re an interesting one,” Akashi whispered, cupping Kuroko’s chin. “You’re so pure and honest with your words.”

Akashi’s long, skinny fingers traced over Kuroko’s porcelain skin. Kuroko stifled a gasp, screaming inwardly. The shorter male feel the need to push Akashi away from him, but his body betrayed him by sparking from Akashi’s touch. His fingers were tender and soft, and Kuroko wondered how would it feel if those delicate fingers trailed all over his lips, his torso, his legs, his hips, his…

Kuroko cursed outwardly. _Oh my god this was embarrassing!_

Akashi’s brows twitched, unpleasant by Kuroko’s sudden outburst. “You should not let a frivolous word to escape from your tongue, sensei.”

Kuroko clasped his hands over his lips and stammered. “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to do that…”

“It’s all right, sensei.” Akashi suddenly hauled to his feet. “We can speak tomorrow if you allow me to. I think you need more caffeine to handle your sexual frustration, sensei.”

“I-I wasn’t frustrated at all!” Kuroko denied quickly.

“Liar, your beautiful eyes speak it all.” Akashi made his way towards the door and bowed politely. “I will see you tomorrow, sensei.”

With that, Akashi opened the door and slipped out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Akashi left.

After a few minutes of lingering silence, Kuroko thumped his head against his table, grumbling incoherently as he raked his hair in exasperation.

“Damn you, Kise-kun.” He spat to nobody in particular.

* * *

  
  
The rest of his day resumed normally to Kuroko’s relief. He dealt with some patients that could be solved in a matter of minutes. He also assisted Midorima to help one of his patients that has Alzheimer. For the moment, Kuroko felt grateful towards his DID case, since patients with Alzheimer were technically incurable, but that doesn’t mean DID was much different.

When night came, Kuroko knew he was done for the day.

After shutting the lights and locking the doors, Kuroko weaved his way out of his hospital. He could feel burning stares from Kise and Midorima, but Kuroko wasn’t in the mood to answer their inquiries about his DID case.

After all, they brought Kuroko into this, and Kuroko had accepted their one-way ticket to hell. For the first time, Kuroko hated being sympathetic.

Kuroko almost made his way to the basement to fetch his car until he realized he had walked to the hospital today by foot. Just when he needed the goddamn vehicle, it wasn’t there to fulfill his service. What a great day it was.

With complaining muscles, Kuroko left the hospital building and started crossing the road.

For some reason, Kuroko found the street unusually deserted. Usually, Tokyo would be overpopulated with teenagers and adults, but tonight, the teal-haired male could only see a couple of high-school students and a few tired adults walking home from work.

“Nice hips you got there, boy.”

Kuroko froze. Alarmed, he turned around and found a group of big, burly men with hairy chest surrounding him. 

Kuroko tightened his grip on the satchel. “What do you want?”

One of the men jeered at him and laughed. “Are you a doctor? You look so tiny for being one.”

The other men laughed at their own joke. Kuroko gulped, his lips twitching. “Please leave me alone. If you want money, I can give it to you.”

The men seemed surprised by this. They exchanged peculiar looks before their faces broke into a sneer. “It will be not fun then, little boy. At least let us check up on you.”

Kuroko realized the situation he was in and quickly turned his back on these men. “Please leave me be.”

Before Kuroko could run, huge arms grabbed his waist and shoved him to the nearby, dark alley before pinning him against the wall. Kuroko thrashed and kicked about, but the men were too strong as strong arms gripped his thighs, preventing him to move a muscle.

“P-Please!” Kuroko whimpered. 

The men ignored him as they undo the buttons of his shirt and exposed his pale torso. The men murmured perverted comments on his bare chest as they unbuckled his belt and pulled his pants down.

“No!! Stop this at once!”

Kuroko broke into frantic sobs. He felt weak, pathetic even. Today was really the worst day ever. He still needed to meet Akashi tomorrow, and Kuroko didn’t want to lose his job over this lunatic incident.

_Please let someone hear me._

Before the men could grab his boxers, a pair of red scissors flew passed them and cracked against the wall. The men paused. They traded horrified glances and slowly turned behind, only to found a silhouette of a man with a pair of heterochromatic eyes glaring at them. 

“Don’t touch Tetsuya.” He growled, and to the men’s horror, his left eye glowed before he sent a vicious punch to one of the man’s jaw. 

The skinny man dropped towards the ground and moaned for help. The other men came to his defense and ambushed this shadowed man, but they ended up either being punched or stabbed by a scissor until they blood gushed from their skins.

After a few failed attempts to injured the blood-lust man, the gang sped off and cried with their new bruises on their bodies.

Kuroko froze in horror. His body trembled wildly before he saw the figure coming from the shadows. It was Akashi.

“Akashi-san!” Kuroko’s eyes glowed hopefully. “I’m very glad it was you! You have saved my life from these people…”

Suddenly, Akashi wrapped his fingers around Kuroko’s neck and squeezing him tight, smothering him. 

“ _What are you doing out here, idiot?”_ Akashi snapped at him, his eyes flew wide. “Don’t let those disgusting peasants get you again!”

Kuroko blinked in confusion. For some reason, the man in front of him wasn’t Akashi. 

Then Kuroko noticed—his left eye glittered in yellow, pale light.

“Akashi-kun, why is your eye—“

“Akashi-kun?” Akashi’s lips twisted into a devilish smirk. “Call me Sei.”

Kuroko jolted and yelped. “S-S-Sei? But it is your real name. In our positions, I can’t address you like that…”

“Call me Seijuuro, got that?” Akashi pulled his face closer, fanning his breath across Kuroko’s neck. “Call me Sei, Tetsuya.”

Kuroko choked on the strong grip on his neck. After stifling for his breath, Kuroko finally choked. “S-S-Sei.”

“Good.” Akashi said and locked their lips.

Akashi kissed him hungrily as he grabbed Kuroko’s hips for better angle. Despite the questions rising in his mind, Kuroko surrendered into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Akashi’s head.

Finally, Akashi pulled away from him and smirked. “You’re mine Tetsuya. From now on, I will protect you so you will never escape from me again. Nobody can take you away from me, including him.”

“Him? Who?” Kuroko yelped, looking baffled.

Akashi chuckled grimly and sneered at the shorter male. “Him? It’s _Akashi_ of course!"


	3. Chapter 3

For ten minutes, Kuroko bored his gaze on the coffee.

Sighing, he wrapped his fingers around the mug, hoping the warmth could ease his anxiety; it was futile, of course.

On the other hand, Akashi sat across him, cross-legged. Oblivious of the teal haired male's turmoil, he sipped his tea in a delicate manner.

Kuroko didn't know why he ended up sitting in the local coffee shop with the most problematic client he had ever encountered, Akashi Seijuuro. Whenever Kuroko closed his eyes, the scene from last night's events unfolded before him—that explained the new, black marks shadowed under his eyes; Kuroko couldn't get a good night sleep.

"Sensei, are you okay?" Akashi furrowed his eyebrows, his face bathed with concern. "You seemed to be so exhausted. Do you want me to order another coffee or tea?"

It took a moment for Kuroko to register Akashi's words into his fatigued brain. "Ah? No, it's all right Akashi-san. I am good."

Akashi didn't buy his statement, but the crimson eyed male nodded and continued sipping his tea, knowing it's best not to press the issue.

Kuroko believed his sleeping disorder or dealing with Akashi's DID didn't affect his wasted mental, but the fact that Akashi kissed him lustfully last night intrigued Kuroko. They had only known each other for twenty-four hours, yet his DID side—Seijuuro—expressed his questionable affection shamelessly. Honestly, what's with the two Akashis suddenly bothering Kuroko like a leech?

"Sensei, let's talk." Akashi suddenly spoke, placing his mug on the table. "I am calling you today so we can discuss my DID case in a different atmosphere. I think it's a good change of pace, what do you think?"

Akashi's words stopped Kuroko's train of thoughts. The therapist blinked confusedly, but then he finally read the situation and nodded half-heartedly. "I appreciate your consideration, Akashi-san," he muttered.

Why am I involved with him in the first place?

It all started two hours ago…

* * *

  
  
_2 Hours ago:_

Before Kuroko could take a moment to enjoy the morning air in his office, somebody knocked the door.

Kuroko peered at his wristwatch and grimaced at the unfriendly hour. As far as he knew, the clinic was still closed at seven in the morning, and patients were restricted to come. Kuroko presumed it would be Kise or Midorima, probably asking him another stupid errand.

As he swung the door opened, Kuroko couldn't believe the figure before his eyes.

It was Akashi—for god knows how and where he was able to enter the hospital without getting caught.

Suddenly, Kuroko's sleepy eyes jolted wide and awake. Still infuriated towards last night's event, Akashi was the last person he wanted to see today, but since it was part of his job to meet this man regularly, he went straight to the point to confirm his suspicions. "Who are you?"

A cute smile spread across Akashi's lips as he spoke. "It's me, Akashi."

Kuroko heaved a relieved sigh. Thank god, it was Mr. Charming instead of Mr. Aggressive. Kuroko found dealing with Seijuuro was the last thing he wanted to do before he dosed his brain with caffeine.

Despite his complaining muscles, Kuroko greeted Akashi as polite as possible. "Good morning, Akashi-san, what brings you here so early in the morning?"

Akashi nodded approvingly at Kuroko's attempt to hide his exhaustion. "I come here to ask you to join breakfast with me."

Kuroko couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Excuse me?"

"You don't mishear, sensei." Akashi put on his delicious smile that would make girls swoon. "I am inviting you to join breakfast with me near the city. Since patients' hour starts at eight, you still have one hour. What do you think?"

Before Kuroko could politely reject his offer, his stomach betrayed him by growling out of the blue. Kuroko flushed his face in embarrassment, and he swore Akashi chuckled at his misery.

"You can't escape sensei." Akashi took his hand and leaded him from the patients' ward to the lobby.

Kuroko, convinced that he had no chance to escape, gave in to the crimson-haired male. He couldn't seem to escape from both Akashis.

When Kuroko walked outside the clinic, his eyes flew wide in horror when he realized the hospital's entrance gate had been sliced into pieces. Slowly, he turned to Akashi with an alarmed expression. "Akashi-san, did you do this?"

Akashi stared at the wrecked metal gate before he replied with a good-natured smile. "Considering I never practice violence, I had Sei do it for me."

Kuroko's eyes widened, curiosity got the better of him. "Sei? So in DID, you can control your personality with your free will?"

Akashi chuckled skittishly towards Kuroko's meekness. "Not often, but Sei listens to me because we have the same objective coming here."

"And that is?"

"We want to see you." 

* * *

  
  
Kuroko's palms sweated.

He peered at the wall-clock below the ceiling and scowled when it was still half an hour until eight. Kuroko didn't know thirty minutes could feel like an eternity.

"So sensei, I have a conversation in mind," Akashi said suddenly, taking a piece of chocolate soufflé with his fork.

Kuroko tried to keep his cool façade. "Y-Yes? What do you want to talk about, Akashi-san?"

Akashi cleared his throat before speaking. "I've looked at your name last night from the hospital's bio data book. I realized that our age gap isn't that far."

Oh my god. Kuroko wondered which Akashi had done such a thing that didn't help with his inner sexual frustration.

Knowing Kuroko wouldn't answer, Akashi continued. "Can I just call you Tetsuya?"

Kuroko felt heat traveling to his cheeks, and he found himself speaking. "Please, don't mind!"

Akashi's brows arched; he didn't expect the immediate response. "Very well, then I will call you Tetsuya." He tossed the cake into his mouth and chewed it gracefully.

Kuroko slapped his head inwardly. This was going to be a long thirty minutes!

"So Tetsuya, I noticed that you haven't gotten over your inevitable sexual frustration," Akashi batted his eyelashes and moistened his lips, hoping the therapist would feel aroused by his actions.

Kuroko swallowed, trying to resist Akashi's charm. "I really think we should discuss your DID case, Akashi-san."

"Nah, I think you're on the right track, there's no need to discuss them further." Akashi forked another piece of cake before rolling his tongues around the silverware, sucking the latter. "Let's try to heal you by initiating mundane conversation."

Kuroko died inside as his gaze fell upon the silver fork coated by Akashi's slaver. "A-Akashi-san, trust me I am fine—"

"So tell me Tetsuya," Akashi started and placed the fork back on the plate. "Which university did you attend before becoming a therapist?"

Kuroko looked lost by the sudden normal words coming from Akashi's mouth. For some reason, this kind of conversation slowed his heart rate greatly. "Tokyo Psychologist Hospital sir, it was recommended by my friends in high school."

"Oh, which high school did you attended?"

"Seirin," Kuroko smiled as he reminisced his days in the basketball club. "I was once a member of the basketball club."

Akashi's eyes crinkled with interest and said. "Wow, care to elaborate, Tetsuya?"

For the next thirty minutes, Kuroko found himself rambling and ranting his high school days to Akashi, but the charming red-haired returned the favor by telling a little bit about himself. Kuroko learned that Akashi came from one of the prestigious, basketball school in Japan—Rakuzan. Kuroko found it fascinating. As time went on, the two started discussing their perspective matches back in high school and sharing the struggles they had been through.

But the best of all was, Kuroko found himself starting to feel a little less nervous around Akashi.

"…Your misdirection sounds interesting," Akashi said, sipping his second cup of tea. "Where did you learn it?"

"It involves observing people's eye movements," Kuroko said, scratching his chin. "I diverted their gaze to somewhere else so they won't see me."

Akashi nodded, smiling in satisfaction. "You're an amusing man, Tetsuya. What makes you want to learn it in the first place?"

Kuroko froze. For a moment, the teal haired male racked his brain for words while Akashi fixed his gaze on him.

Finally, Kuroko spoke. "I think it's because I want to be useful in the court."

Akashi stared at him for a long moment before turning away from Tetsuya. "You're a wonderful man Tetsuya. I can almost admit that you make my heart swoon."

Kuroko stifled a gasp and stammered. "T-Thank you Akashi-kun! You're a wonderful person too!"

Before Akashi could reply, Kuroko's phone vibrated in his pocket. Mumbling an apology, Kuroko fished out his android and scrolled the screen upwards. It was a message from Midorima.

I just arrived on the clinic this morning. One of your clients left me a note that he is not going to make it today, so technically I believe you have nobody to attend to. How are things going with Akashi? The director also left a note that he will be absent today, so if you want to rest, you can stay at home.

It's not like I care though. I don't want your exhaustion to be an inferior to my work. By the way, Aquarius ranked second last, so watch out nanodayo.

Kuroko almost laughed at the last one; Midorima was as sentimental as ever.

"What is it Tetsuya?" Akashi asked. "Your face is in the verge of laughter."

Kuroko couldn't help but smile. "It's my colleague. He told me to stay at home for a rest."

"What a considerate friend you have there." Akashi commented, smiling.

Kuroko entered into a fit of a giggle as he spoke. "Well, Midorima-san is always like this. He is trying to not care but he does, it's very funny."

Suddenly, Akashi hauled up from his seat as his chair made a screeching noise. "Well then Tetsuya, that means you're free today."

Kuroko's eyes traced across Akashi's features and nodded. "Y-Yeah, sort of."

"Then Tetsuya," Akashi offered a hand to the bluenet. "Would you like to go on a date with me?"

Kuroko felt pink, sparkly flowers glittered on the background as if he was part of a shoujo manga.

The teal haired male gazed at the hand before him. Dramatically, he reached for Akashi's hand until Akashi yanked his and squeezed it gently. Kuroko blushed. Akashi's warmth overwhelmed him, and he wished time could just stop forever.

Again, Kuroko questioned his attraction towards Akashi Seijuuro. He just met this man twenty-four hours ago, yet his affection was no different that a man who had loved his partner for many years. Their fingers, lips, and eyes—all of them locked perfectly as if they were made for none but each other.

For the next few hours, the couple visited various places such as arcades, restaurants and malls. Honestly, Kuroko found Akashi's generosity quite intimidating, especially the crimson-haired male occasionally pampered him by offering him expensive, materialistic products. Those Chanel satchels and Rolex wristwatches cost a penny to Akashi's wallet, but Kuroko found them too lavish for his taste.

On their fourth dining in a fancy restaurant, Kuroko gaped when Akashi informed him of their next destination—the amusement park; an affordable, mundane place, even though Kuroko thought that Akashi was made of money and luxury.

Kuroko questioned Akashi twice about their destination, and Akashi just nodded without a word.

After taking the cab with comfortable silence, the couple reached the fantasyland.

Since night had fallen, the amusement park scarcely filled with people, but Akashi shoved a ten thousand yen to the park's director to activate the Ferris wheel. Kuroko could just stare at the horrified expression brimming the director's face.

One of the bright workers willingly helped them to set up the ride. As they slid off inside their designated gondola, the staff beamed at them and closed the door before scurrying off to spin the wheels.

A few moments later, Kuroko felt his stomach dropped as the gondola ascended, slowly hovering them above the rest of the passenger seats. When they reached the peak point, sparkling city lights and the navy-blue expanse of the sky reflected in Kuroko's eyes. His lips parted in awe, marveling at the view.

Akashi sat across him and smiled at the overjoyed therapist. Slowly, he took Tetsuya's hands and intertwined their fingers together. Kuroko stiffened. He smiled back and the red-haired male and squeezed their hands together. Damn, Kuroko wished he could skip work often just to see Akashi's genuine, gentle smile…

Then Akashi kissed his palms.

Kuroko stifled a surprised gasp. The moment those delicate lips contacted with his skin, Kuroko knew he couldn't deny his strong feelings towards this man before him. He couldn't help the grin that split across his face.

"Akashi-san," He found himself giggling. "This is embarrassing."

"Nah," Akashi muttered, shaking his head. "Well, it's just the two of us."

Kuroko felt his heartbeat caught on his throat. "W-Why are you being so nice to me, Akashi-san?"

"Tetsuya," Akashi said. "I have something to tell you."

Kuroko nodded obediently, anticipating for Akashi's response in bathed breath.

But...

…

…

Umm….what was taking him so long?

"Ano, Akashi-san?" Kuroko finally asked, concerned "Are you okay—?"

Suddenly, Akashi lunged at him.

He crashed Kuroko's back against the seat behind. Kuroko inhaled sharply, feeling the air deprived of his lungs. Akashi's fingers clawed on his sides, causing aching pain on his hips. Kuroko thrashed and kicked, but it was futile to escape from Akashi's aggressive grip.

"Akashi-san—!"

"Why did you let that _peasant_ kiss you?"

Kuroko froze. His eyes slowly widened— _Oh shit._

Seijuuro squeezed his eyes shut before opening them wide, revealing his heterochromatic pairs of eyes. His lips pulled into a ludicrous snarl, and his yellow iris glowed in fury. "Answer me Tetsuya! Why did you let that bastard touch you?"

Kuroko's lips trembled, stuttering. "Sei...you come back."

Seijuuro mumbled profanities under his breath before barking. "Don't you get it Tetsuya? The reason I want you to meet Akashi so you can heal my DID! But in the end, you play lovers' spat with my alternate self instead of performing your duty"

Kuroko grinded his jaw and sunk his nails to Seijuuro's rigid shoulders. "You don't get it Sei! Based on my observation, Akashi is the one who has DID because _you're_ the one invading his identity!"

Seijuuro looked taken aback by the statement. He gritted his teeth and hissed. "So, you think I am Akashi's parasite? Not the other way around?"

Kuroko retaliated. "Wait, No! This is not what I meant—!"

"Then answer me Tetsuya," Seijuuro grabbed his cheeks while smirking. "If you need to kill one person, which one would you kill? Would it be Akashi or Seijuuro?"


	4. Chapter 4

What was the definition of stupidity other than Kise Ryota?

Kuroko wanted to give him a paper test, and if it didn't work, he would personally tutor Kise and fuel his brain with proper knowledge and common sense to keep his intelligence from degrading into ashes.

Fortunately, Kuroko wasn't being sarcastic; his deadpanned expression screamed it all.

Despite being an Aquarius, Midorima agreed with him.

Kise screamed like a six-year-old. Because of the blonde's interminable cries, Kuroko and Midorima indignantly stormed into his room to find the trigger behind the blonde's eruption.

When they walked inside, Aomine lounged himself on top of Kise's desk, chewed an apple, and spitted on the floor.

They were not surprised.

"Kurokocchi! Midorimacchi!" Kise howled and opened his arms to embrace Kuroko."Please help me! Aominecchi doesn't want to listen to me!"

Kuroko evaded Kise effortlessly. Midorima suppressed his laughter.

"It's his fault, not mine," Aomine said lazily, accusingly pointing at the blonde. "He wants me to write a three-page draft to praise my old teammates, it's so freaky!"

"But in order to overcome your self-centered dilemma, you need to acknowledge the goodness in others!" Kise protested.

"The other day you rambled shit I should look good in photos," Aomine spat. "I think my profile picture is a lot better than all your model magazines combined!"

Clenching his fist, Kise glowered at the darker male and yelled. "My model magazines are fearfully and wonderfully made! The production team and I invested money on those magazines to make sure I look extremely wonderful! Don't compare me to you, ganguro!"

"Shut the fuck up you blonde-therapist-wannabe!" Aomine roared and was about to punch Kise on the face before Midorima grabbed him from behind.

Midorima adjusted his glasses and said calculatingly. "It's really not a good idea to put two narcissists in the same room."

Kise's inability for dealing with Aomine disappointed Kuroko. If they never switched clients, Aomine would leave the hospital grounds a long time ago, but like what Midorima said, putting two narcissists in the same room only worsened Aomine's condition.

And if it would not for helping Kise, Kuroko would never feel the inevitable, painful ache in his heart.

The teal haired male unconsciously grabbed the hem of his shirt to feel his throbbing heartbeat. This DID case didn't only mess with Kuroko's head; it also stirred his heart as well.

Even though it was two days ago, Seijuuro's statement had been playing in his mind all over again.

* * *

  
  
_Two days ago:_

"If you need to kill one person, which one would you kill? Would it be Akashi or Seijuuro?"

Kuroko's eyes widened in horror. Seijuuro looked down on him with a sadistic grin on his face. The teal haired male knew that he couldn't answer this question, but for Seijuuro, it was probably a rhetorical question.

"If you ask me which one of you should I kill, it would be none," Kuroko answered flatly. "Because I can't kill, I can only heal."

Seijuuro made a face. He didn't seem to understand that statement. Knowing the meaning behind Seijuuro's apprehensive gaze, Kuroko continued.

"Killing neither of you is impossible. Because if I kill one of you, I will take both of your lives in the process," Kuroko gritted his teeth as he spoke. "And I don't want that."

"You don't want to kill me?" Seijuuro interrogated him bitterly. "I believe you considered me as an inferior, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did," Kuroko answered fearlessly. "But you are part of Akashi. Because I love Akashi-san, I want to heal his DID, and if I do, it would save you in the process, Seijuuro."

At the moment, Seijuuro looked at the loss for words. He loosened his grip on Kuroko's neck and genuine confusion swam on his eyes. Kuroko thought it looked like the eyes of a child who had felt kindness for the first time.

But then, Seijuuro's wrath returned and he snarled.

"Don't be stupid, Tetsuya," Seijuuro's voice tainted with venom. "Akashi doesn't love you! He is afraid of you! The only one who can accept your body and soul is me!"

...

_What?_

Kuroko gritted his teeth in frustration. Was Akashi afraid of Kuroko's sexuality?

Akashi made it clear that he always tried to press that matter. Maybe he was afraid getting into a serious, romantic relationship with Kuroko even though he just wanted to mess around with him in the first place.

Kuroko couldn't blame Akashi though. Young people these days tend to toy around with each other's feelings for fun, and that's why teenagers tend to be cynical.

But what about Seijuuro? Despite Sei's intolerable behavior, he outwardly claimed his undying love towards Kuroko. If Kuroko and Sei got into a romantic relationship, Kuroko could still bear the pain because Akashi and Sei were the same in general, but projecting his feelings towards Akashi to Sei would make Kuroko no different than a selfish, manipulating bastard.

* * *

  
  
_Back to present:_

..."The only one who can praise me is me!"

"That's why you can't heal, Ahomine!"

"Guys, guys please calm down!"

Suddenly, Kuroko rolled his fist together and slammed the door, silencing everyone. Kise and Aomine yelped, cowering in fear. On the other hand, Midorima stared at him with a priceless expression.

"Aomine-san, Kise-kun." Kuroko cracked his fist together "To the rehab room, now."

* * *

  
  
Two hours later:

"I can't believe you manage to make them behave," Midorima commented, fixing his glasses. The two therapists strolled side by side as they made their way towards their respective room.

Kuroko replied curtly. "I am just upset, that's all."

Midorima laughed a little. "It's pretty rare for you to lose your cool."

Kuroko sighed with a smile. As the two therapists kept walking, Midorima paused on his tracks. Kuroko noticed and turned his head over his shoulders.

"Midorima-kun, is something wrong?"

Midorima actually nodded, to Kuroko's wonder. "It's not like I want us to be closer, but I want you to meet someone."

Kuroko had gotten used by Midorima's sentimental tendencies. He went straight to the point. "Who do you want me to meet?"

Midorima heaved a deep, long sigh and closed his eyes before he spoke. "I want you to meet my patient who has Alzheimer, Takao Kazunari."

* * *

  
  
Midorima spent two years being a full-time psychologist, so Kuroko wasn't surprised if the latter male had gained the privilege to let his patients stayed in the clinic.

They ascended to the second floor where the patients' room were located. Kuroko's clients never stayed in the hospital, so the whole atmosphere felt foreign to him.

Finally, they arrived. Midorima knocked on one of the most corners doors before mumbling. "Takao, are you there?"

Silence lingered before a male voice echoed behind the door. "Who is this?"

Midorima's lips twitched for a moment. He tilted his head downwards and hid his expression so Kuroko couldn't see him.

"It's me, Midorima." he said, his voice tinged with pain.

Kuroko watched the whole scene in disbelief. The four-eyed male never seemed to care about his clients, but now a mix of emotions twisted Midorima's features.

"M..Midorima...who?"

Midorima cursed under his breath as he opened the door and nudged Kuroko to walk in.

After a moment of hesitation, Kuroko entered the room.

A raven-haired male with eagle-like eyes sat on the bed. His eyes brimmed with sheer confusion as he stared at Kuroko and the taller therapist next to him.

"Takao." Midorima approached him and planted himself beside Takao. "Remember, me?"

Takao's gaze bore deeper into Midorima's eyes before he pointed at him. "S-Shin."

"Yes, it's me, Shin-chan." Midorima's face brightened, sounding relieved.

In a flash, Takao's eyes flew wide in joy and shook Midorima's shoulders. "Shin-chan! I remember now! It's really you."

"It's really me, idiot." Midorima laughed.

Kuroko noticed. Midorima laughed.

"I'm sorry Shin-chan," hurt flashed on Takao's eyes. "You see my condition is going worse..."

Midorima shook his hand and squeezed Takao's palms gently. "No, it's all right Takao, it's already part of your symptom."

Takao grinned at Midorima and let out a happy chortle. The Alzheimer patient laughed with glee without any care in the world.

Kuroko witnessed the whole scene with heartfelt. Alzheimer patients suffered dementia, a type of mental illness which impaired their memory. It was beyond cure, so it was not surprising if Takao would forget every single damn thing. It was not his fault.

Yet Midorima showed no sign of indignation. Despite being incurable, Midorima tried his best to treated Takao as a normal human being and tried his best to help the boy.

Suddenly, Midorima snapped Kuroko from his thoughts. "Kuroko," he ordered. "I am going to my room for awhile to fetch for Takao's files. Can you please accompany him?"

Kuroko agreed, and a few moments later, Midorima left.

After Midorima closed the door behind him, Takao suddenly spoke.

"You know, I don't remember anything about Shin-chan," he spoke with a sad smile. "But I know that I'm in love with him."

Kuroko clasped his hands over his mouth as he heard Takao's bold statement. Kuroko found his cheeks flaring, and the same goes with Takao, who giggled.

"He is so gentle. Shin-chan makes me feel so alive. Too bad I never remember anything about him, or even myself, even though he repeats it to me every single fucking day."

Takao chuckled bitterly.

A sympathetic look flashed across Kuroko's face. Before he opened his mouth to speak, Takao continued.

"But, I am afraid of Shin-chan."

Kuroko felt his breath caught up on his throat. His heart contracted, and Kuroko felt the need to get himself together.

Afraid...

Akashi...was he really afraid of him?

"Why are you afraid?" Kuroko asked, his voice slightly rattled.

Takao took a moment to register the right words into his brain. Sometimes, he squinted and mewled as if he was trying to survive the painful tangles in his brain.

Wincing, Takao sunk his nails into his palms, slowly oozing out blood.

"I don't have much time," Takao hiccuped, trying to keep his smile. "And even if I do, I will forget it anyway. It's like a curse, and if I tell Shin-chan I love him..."

Takao's smile melted into a frown, and he started weeping. "Shin-chan will get hurt. Shin-chan is already hurting because I forget things he wants to remember...but I can't help it, didn't I? God was just fucking cruel."

Kuroko's frown deepened. He didn't have the right to say anything.

"At least, until the last moments..." Takao sniffed, still forcing his smile. "I want to remember Shin-chan's face. His eyes. His nose. His hair. I just want to keep one piece of memory of Shin-chan, is that too much?"

Kuroko revered Takao's struggle to bottle up his feelings. It must be hard both for Midorima and Takao to pretend every single day was like their first encounter, yet they both lived with it. But for one thing, Kuroko believed Takao already obtained that one piece of memory of Midorima, and that was...

The fact that he was aware of his feelings towards Midorima, and it would stay in his heart forever.

Grinding his teeth together, Kuroko tried to resist his sobs from escaping his throat. The more he listened to Takao, the guiltier he felt. Unlike Akashi and Kuroko, who had all the time in the world, Midorima and Takao's relationship was dependent by time.

If Akashi disliked of Kuroko, the teal haired male still has Seijuuro to boot, but in their case, they had nobody but each other.

"What's your name, sensei?" Takao suddenly asked, wiping the tears from his eyes.

Kuroko blinked and said. "Kuroko Tetsuya."

"Ah, Shin-chan keeps telling me about you!" Takao grinned from ear to ear. "I can't believe I remember it! But you see, two of us have three similarities?"

Kuroko tilted his head, curious. "What are they?"

Takao started making gestures with his fingers. "First, we are both afraid."

Kuroko exclaimed. "Y-You know what I'm feeling right now?"

"It's pretty obvious." Takao pouted. "You're scowling all the time."

Kuroko found himself chuckling. Shaking his head, Kuroko added. "So what are the other two?"

Takao placed his finger over his lips and winked. "That's a secret."

After trading a few light conversations with Takao, Kuroko bid him goodbye and slipped out of the room. Closing the door behind him, he leaned his body against the doorframe before collapsing to his knees.

Then, he stayed still.

Takao was right; they were both similar.

Takao was afraid advancing his relationship with Midorima could hurt the four-eyed male, and, on the other hand, Kuroko was afraid Akashi would be creeped out by his homosexuality.

Kuroko slapped himself. He winced at the new, aching pain on his cheeks. He deserved it though—how can someone like Takao who had an impaired brain could be more reasonable than a healthy-minded Kuroko? Kuroko found the whole thing absurd and too crazy for his own belief.

It hurts.

Everything hurts. If it would not for his ridiculous feelings towards Akashi, Kuroko didn't have to feel any of these emotions—love, confusion, rejection, bitter, regret…

Kuroko hated every little bit of it.

"Oi, Kuroko someone is coming here to see you." Midorima suddenly materialized from the opposing pathway.

"Kuroko!" Midorima raised his voice.

Finally, Kuroko snapped out of his reverie. Blinking in confusion, Kuroko's panicked eyes softened when he saw Midorima standing beside him.

"Yes, Midorima-kun?" his voice cracked, to his own disbelief.

"Someone is coming to see you," Midorima repeated the statement with a sigh while adjusting his glasses. "I think it is Akashi."

Kuroko swallowed. Reluctantly, he scrambled to his feet and dragged his heavy legs to the stairs to meet the last person he wanted to see.

Midorima watched the retreating figure with a scowl before entering Takao's room.

* * *

  
  
After the miserable journey on the stairs, Kuroko gulped as his feet met the ground. Just a few more steps to the left and Akashi would be waiting for him, ending their relationship once and for all.

But Kuroko couldn't help but to feel a little bit more hopeful—Seijuuro might be wrong. If Akashi really detested Kuroko, the bluenet wanted to hear it from Akashi himself, even if it hurts, he needed to face it.

Just like how Takao honestly faced his feelings towards Midorima despite his vulnerable condition.

Finally, Kuroko saw him from the distance.

The crimson-haired male leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. A scowl tainted his handsome features. Curling his hands into a fist, Kuroko approached Akashi with new confidence.

"Good afternoon, Akashi-kun." He greeted the ruby-haired male.

Then their gaze met.

Kuroko instinctively took a step back and gasped.

Seijuuro.

It was pretty unusual for Mr. Aggressive to wander around in the wild…

"Morning Tetsuya," Seijuuro greeted him with a smile like Akashi's. "Do you really miss Akashi that much?"

Kuroko gritted his teeth. He needed to confirm with Seijuuro if Akashi was really keeping his distance towards him.

"Sei, I have a question," Kuroko started. "When you say Akashi is afraid of me, is it really true? Or is it something you say out of bitter jealousy?"

Seijuuro looked surprised by Kuroko's brazen question. He was familiar with Kuroko's timid yet adamant personality. Seijuuro looked at the shorter male in amusement.

Clicking his fingers, Seijuuro smirked. "Well, that's what I come here for, love."

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys like the chapter >.


End file.
